Taking with kasper thaler!

"Oh, you know, just a bit here and there," Ana replies with a grin, trying to play it cool. In reality, her knowledge of martial arts could probably fit inside a Pokéball with room to spare. But hey, that's what she's here to learn, right?

She reaches down to scratch Old Whiskers behind the ears, the Espeon's eyes narrowing contentedly at the attention. "This here's my partner, Old Whiskers. He's been with me since... well, since before I can remember!"

Ana straightens up, clapping her hands together with an eager smile. "Honestly, I don't know all that much about battling or martial arts or anything like that. But I want to learn! There's so much out there to discover, and I want to see it all! And if I'm gonna do that, I need to be able to hold my own in a fight."

Her eyes grow distant. A very short time ago, an odd man told her that Hoenn is dangerous, and she believes him. His words solidified her need to learn how to defend herself. Thea's dojo seems like a great first step to Ana! She refocuses on the girl in front of her with a grin, and her excitement is once more palpable, a barely contained storm of energy just waiting to be unleashed. "Can you teach me how to fight like that? I promise I'm a quick learner!"

Thea Naito

Ana watches Elise sip her tea, her own cup cradled in her hands as she leans forward eagerly. She is utterly absorbed in Elise's story, her expressive face flickering with emotion as she listens.

"Oh wow," Ana breathes, her eyes wide with a mix of sympathy and wonder. "I mean, I'm an only child so it was always just me and mom and Whiskers, but I can't even imagine how rough it must be for you and your cousin." She takes another bite of her pastry, chewing thoughtfully as she processes Elise's words.

The artist tilts her head, tendrils of wavy brown hair slipping from behind her ear to frame her face. Her orange eyes are bright with curiosity as she regards the Galarian royal, a soft smile playing on her lips. "It sounds like you two are really different. I can't imagine being a queen! Just thinking about it makes my head spin!"

Ana giggles, a bubbly, infectious sound that seems to lighten the mood. "I'm glad you guys can still joke about it though. Family can be complicated." She hesitates for a moment, her thoughts turning briefly to her own absent father. "I hope my dad is a nice guy. I don't even know his name or anything about him, just that he's from Hoenn."

She shrugs, shaking off the flicker of melancholy that threatens to dampen her spirits. "Anyway, your Pokémon are really cool! They seem super close to you." Ana reaches out to pet the Sprigatito. "I bet you're a great trainer."

Elise Calcifet

As Howard begins speaking, Ana does her best to listen—really, she does—but as he warns her to relax, she can't help but expel all the contained excitement inside her in one, trembling breath. Okay, calm down. Deep breath. In and out, in and out.

Honestly, who knew a day that began with doodling excrement would end with an art career?

His mention of buying paints has her suddenly bursting with another spark of energy, this time a touch more frustrated. "Well, if you're getting the stuff, I need to tell you exactly where to get all of it, or it'll be terrible stuff!" Ana rummages through her bag and pulls out a small planner dutifully decorated with charms, stickers, and paint stains, and she promptly starts writing in it. "I need to get some new oils, good brushes, linseed oil..." She makes a list, rattling off necessities for her new gig. She's particular with her supplies, and they're almost as close to her heart as Whiskers himself.

Whiskers... Who needs to come with her!

She's glad Howard already offered for him to come. The cat is basically Ana's heart. She winks at the peacefully purring Espeon with a smile.

"As long as he won't be a bother!" Ana amends as she writes down her mom's tried-and-true oil supplier in Hoenn, reciting the well-known address over the pen. "We've never really been apart."

After writing her phone number and all her other contact information into the page, Ana tears it out, producing a hot pink, sparkly slip of paper. Without hesitation, she hands it over, beaming.

"Can you get all that stuff? My number is on there too."

howard slayte

"Oh, that's so cute!" Ana can't help but squeal as she spots the Wigglytuff rolling towards her. She crouches down to greet the Pokémon at eye level, reaching out to boop its nose playfully. "Aren't you just the most adorable little puffball? Yes you are! Yes you are!"

Old Whiskers watches from nearby, his tails swishing back and forth in amusement as he keeps a keen eye on the proceedings. His ears twitch at the sound of battle coming from inside the dojo, a distant look in his eyes as if lost in memories of his own.

Ana glances up from the Wigglytuff to see if she can spot its trainer—which she does! A girl with striking blonde hair. "Is this your dojo? I've heard so many great things about the stuff that goes on here! I was hoping to learn a thing or two myself—my Pokémon and I are still pretty new to battling."

She grins, her eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. The prospect of learning to fight alongside her partner, to forge the kind of bond she's heard so much about... it's almost too much for her to handle.

"I'm Ana, by the way!" she adds, realizing she's been prattling on without even introducing herself. "Ana Harmon, artist and adventurer extraordinaire! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Thea Naito

At first, Ana doesn't register the gust of wind as anything more than an unusually strong breeze—Hoenn is known for its unique weather patterns, after all. But when she catches sight of the purple blur, her eyes widen in surprise.

"Holy goodra," she breathes out, jaw dropping as the blur slows down enough to reveal itself. It's an Espeon, but not just any Espeon—one that towers over Old Whiskers, who looks like he might have seen a ghost. Ana barely notices the man astride the Espeon, her attention entirely captured by the size of the creature.

"How did it get so big?" Ana wonders aloud, her fingers itching to pull out her sketchbook and capture the moment. She's seen big Pokémon before—on TV, anyway—but never one so graceful and elegant as an Espeon.

Old Whiskers bristles beside her, his eyes narrowing as if he's trying to establish some sort of psychic connection with the larger Espeon. Ana can only imagine the conversation they might be having: a mix of old-man grumblings and awkward introductions.

She turns her attention to the black-haired man, a grin spreading across her face. "Wow, I've never seen an Espeon that large before! Is he friendly?" she calls out, her tone curious and light.

Josh Devlin

Ana's eyes grow wide as saucers as she watches the heavy Stakataka rise as if it's filled with nothing more than helium, letting out an impressed gasp as she imagines what kind of toilsome workout routine must be required for Howard to pull off something like that. Can her mom lift something like that? Can anyone in Galar lift something like that? At the very least, she imagines that magic must come in handy when handling overbearing nobles...

Howard... He may be kind of strange, but in a way that draws Ana's attention completely. As he scratches his chin, she mimics the gesture, tilting her head slightly as she bites her lip, considering the proposal. Her mom had told her to get a real job in art, like she has, something that actually pays the bills, and what Howard is proposing sounds like one—a job that could show her mom she's doing just fine in Hoenn, far more exciting than painting some stuffy nobles or practicing royal curtsies back in Galar.

It's not like she's inexperienced in what he's proposing, either. Her first lessons were master studies—completely replicating the artwork Howard now works in restoring.

...Ana wants to see those perfect pieces again. She wants to witness history in action and capture it forever on a canvas. And if it means working under Howard...

"You've got a deal!" Ana exclaims, hardly containing her excitement as she sticks her hand out for him to shake, a newfound business partner or... Whatever the adult term for that sort of thing is called. Whiskers will know! "Restoring paintings... So incredible! You won't regret it!"

Once their handshake is done (and her hand has gone properly tingly and numb from overexcitement), Ana returns her hand to herself, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "When do I start? Where do I go? Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!"

howard slayte

Ana shakes her head, waving off the idea as she listens to his explanation. If being a businesswoman meant arguing and pinching pennies, she wants no part in it! The only numbers she deals with are the dimensions she doodles alongside her sketches, or the price of a good pastry every morning. And arguing? To her, compromising means everyone gets what they want. What's the point otherwise?

"Well, Howard," she says, testing the name out, her voice buoyant and proud and excitable once more, "I think I like my way better! Who cares about that other stuff? As long as everyone's happy and everyone wins, what's it matter? I won anyways because I made my first sale ever!"

Then, the mention of good help, and Ana looks around in search of the aforementioned help. But as she stares, she watches as the Ultra Beast spills out from the tiny sphere at his side. There it is, in the flesh (or... In the brick?) A real Stakataka.

Ana cannot believe her eyes. She had only heard about these creatures in stories, and she had never imagined that they could fold themselves into such shapes! There was hardly any excess material, and the way it folded itself together like that... Talk about true mastery! It reminds her of her mom's studio, filled with fabric and multimedia materials, all unwieldy and hard to make work. But the Stackatacka... It has no problem at all!

"Wowie, this is incredible!" Ana fumbles over her words in excitement, already wishing she had her sketchbook out to document this. What an incredible feat of engineering! A Pokémon capable of fitting itself into perfect dimensions like that? So awesome!

She glances down at Old Whiskers, opening her mouth to ask if he knew anything about this Pokémon, but she decides against it. Not in front of her first real customer! Mom always told her it was weird to talk to her cat in front of pleasant company.

Taking one last, longing look at the briefcase, Ana makes a mental note to pester her Espeon later. Instead, she shakes her head and places the painting inside the briefcase.

"It, uh... Looks heavy, though," Ana mentions as she straightens, glancing over Howard's physique. He doesn't really look like a bodybuilder to her. "Are you gonna be able to carry it...?"

howard slayte

There it is again—that certain heaviness in his gaze, as if guilt is physically weighing him down from the inside. The faint sentiment leaves Ana worried, though he wisn't the first person she'd ever seen look so distraught. Her mother, weary and careworn after a day of working under esteemed nobles; the workers in the stalls that lined these very streets, facing another exhausting day.

The sight of Howard suddenly standing up for his principles tugs a smile out of her, though, and she nearly laughs at the proclamation of shame, but for once, she manages to stifle it. Poor guy really does have his pride, doesn't he? Using her full name and everything, like he's her mom!

But then, instead of simply allowing Ana to help him out here, the guy goes and does something even more humiliating than simply pulling out a checkbook! Eighty dollars. Eighty! And Ana's guilt spirals out of control until she's scooping up the measly amount, huffing as she stares up at Howard with something caught between admiration and frustration.

She extends one finger, pointing it squarely at his chest. "You... You're going to die if you don't let me give you some change! It's bad enough you're offering literally everything you have, but how am I supposed to say I sold it if you don't take some change!? Take it!"

Ana needs him to accept. There's no way she could not give him change—she refuses! Is it her first real art transaction or a damn charity?!

She reaches into her pocket, prepared to pull out some change to make up for it (though, there's only a ten in her pocket, and she has no idea what she's going to do if he really does run off like he said he would), but she pauses when she catches sight of his expression. Well, she hadn't considered that he may very well feel worse for making her give change... Reluctantly, she tucks the bill back in her pocket.

Maybe they both won't feel so bad if she just lets this slide?

"Okay," she says, huffing in defeat. "Eighty it is. You drive a hard bargain!"

There's still the tiniest hint of fire inside of her as she goes about wrapping up the canvas. "What's your name, mister? And do you have something good to carry this back with?"

howard slayte

At the sound of her name, Ana's head snaps up from the vibrant wildflowers she had been crouched beside, her eyes widening in surprise. Standing before her is a familiar face, one she hasn't seen in years—Ever Blackwell, a boy she used to know back in Hammerlocke. Well, not a boy anymore, she realizes with a start, taking in his tall frame and the scruffy pink hair falling around his face.

"Ever? Oh my goodness, I haven't seen you in forever!" she exclaims, her face splitting into a wide grin as she straightens up. Old Whiskers, who had settled down for a nap beside her, blinks his eyes open at the sudden outburst, his tail flicking in mild annoyance.

Ana had always liked Ever, even if they never spoke all that much. He had a unique demeanor she hadn't seen often amongst the upper crust her mother often associated with, which Ana found utterly fascinating. How amazing that they would meet again in such a way!

"What are you doing here? Are you visiting Hoenn too?" Ana asks, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. Her eyes flicker to the sleek Zeraora at his side and the Corviknight soaring overhead, her artist's mind already imagining the way she'd capture them on paper. They're both striking Pokémon, and she wonders briefly what other powerful Pokemon Ever might have in his arsenal.

ever blackwell

The way his eyes go all distant doesn't go unnoticed by Ana, who tilts her head, a pretty little crease forming between her eyebrows as she watches him. There's a certain vacancy in his gaze—like his mind had physically transported him a million miles away, perhaps as if weighed down by some unseen burden, and Ana wonders for a moment if he's okay. But the moment passes before she has a chance to say anything, and she simply files it away in her mind for later, beneath scattered memories and tentative sketches, underneath a little mental note labelled 'Heavy.'

Of course, as soon as she quotes a price, she is filled with doubt. Who was she to put a price on art? What if it was too much? Was three hundred too much? She had no idea! Her heart begins to race, nervous with the prospect that she has perhaps overestimated herself just a little bit too much, but Howard ultimately decides to buy, and Ana almost laughs with relief.

Her face screws up in concentration as she stares at the rather odd question. It takes her a moment to understand what it means, but when she does, she can't help but feel a little bit sad. Three hundred dollars, and he couldn't afford it any other way?

She can't do such a thing to someone. Running her lip beneath her lip, Ana blurts out a new price. "Umm, actually, I'll take a hundred!" Ana exclaims, then pauses to gauge his expression, and then goes even lower. "...Fifty?"

She sighs, running a hand through her wild brown hair, and glances away. "I'll take fifty. No higher!"

Ana fiddles with her palms. Everyone deserves art. Truthfully, she doesn't need the money. Her mom funds her adventures anyways, and she would be a fool to ignore the privileged life she's lead. And, well... Howard kind of seems like he needs something to brighten his day.

howard slayte

"Well, yeah," Ana chirps brightly, tilting her head thoughtfully as she hands a teacup to Elise. Mrs. Floss leans against her side, extending her cotton candy tendrils towards the teacups in hopeful curiosity. Ana absently pats the Swirlix's head, her eyes focused on Elise. "My mom is amazing and I really wanna paint just like her!"

For a moment, a flicker of sadness passes through Ana's orange eyes, her smile dimming just a touch before she continues. "My mom, uh, actually sent me here after, um... Well, I guess I wasn't being super good at home and mom was kind of overprotective, so she wanted me to go find my dad. See, I've never met him and he's from Hoenn, so she thought it'd be good for me to, like, learn about life outside of Galar while finding him."

Ana takes a deep breath, her enthusiasm brightening as she returns to her typically bubbly state. "But I don't wanna be too much like my mom, you know? I wanna do my own thing too, like training Pokémon!"

She reaches for a pastry from the platter, taking a bite as her Miltank gazes skeptically at the Galarian royal. She seems unimpressed, but Ana pays it no mind. She's far more interested in the exciting prospect of making a new friend.

Elise Calcifet

"Whiskers, look!" Ana exclaims, dropping to her knees in the soft grass, her sketchbook tumbling from her grasp. With wide, excited eyes, she scoops up a small tuft of cream-colored fur, holding it aloft for her Espeon companion to inspect. "Isn't this the fur of a Lopunny or a Buneary? I read that they shed their coats when winter approaches! Oh my gosh, we have to find them—I've never seen one up close before!"

Rising to her full—if not terribly impressive—height, Ana can't help but imagine the sight of a wild Lopunny. Those long, graceful ears, the brilliant, silken fur, the strong legs!! She can already picture it, and her fingers itch to capture the moment on paper. But that thought is quickly replaced by another, far more adorable idea: make the hares her friends forever!!!

She looks down at the Espeon at her side. "You wanna get a bunny friend, Old Whiskers?"

Old Whiskers licks his lips. Ana decides to interpret this as exuberant glee at the mere thought.

"Yay! Let's go catch one!" she chirps, fording off into the grasslands with a pokeball in hand.

1jGHTDX6